A Xanthly Dream
by Eleanor Damaschke
Summary: What happens when a centaur... that's not really a centaur... gets lost in Xanth? Romance, action, mystery and suspense follow in swarms! Beware my Cliff-Hangers!
1. The Journey Begins

Disclaimer:

I don't own Xanth or any of the characters in it. Only Nova and Chey belong to me. Piers Anthony gets all the credit for the loverliness of Xanth.

Warning:

This story is a dream that I had one night. It is NOT a one-shot… just to warn you. There is a heck of a lot more where this came from. If it seems cheesy or badly-written, it's because I wrote the whole thing in three days and I edit as I go. ;) Enjoy.

Chapter 1; The Journey Begins

Nova snorted, sounding very horsy as she did so. And why wouldn't she? She was a centaur. The girl was human from the waist up, and equine from the waist down. Her coat was brown, laced with gold, as was her unruly mop of hair and mane. Her skin was darker than cream, but lighter than black, somewhere in the golden brown side of the spectrum. Her tail, surprisingly, was almost pure gold, mixed intermittently with strands of brown. She would have pondered this strange twist of genetics, but now was not the time for pondering. A horde of goblins surrounded her, menacing her with clubs and spears and grinning evilly.

"This one will give us plenty to eat." Said one, licking his lips expectantly. But his neighbor looked troubled.

"But why is she wearing clothes? Centaurs don't wear clothes." It was true- Nova had ditched her suddenly tight-fitting shirt in favor of a makeshift harness that covered her female-parts. For her journey through this strange land, she had taken on the form of a centaur, and apparently, centaurs were more- uh- developed that normal human girls. In reality, she was a shapeshifter, able to become any animal she pleased (except for vampire, zombie, werewolf, or just about anything undead). Feeling somehow bolder than normal, Nova spoke for the first time since encountering the ugly little men.

"I want no business with goblins. I wish only to travel in peace to my own home." Her fair soprano voice was quiet, but the nearest goblins heard it. One laughed derisively, and jabbed her in her human stomach with the tip of his club.

"Oh, no. Sorry, horse-rear, but you're stayin' here so us'ns can eat." Nova bit her tongue, refraining from correcting his atrocious grammar. The filly dug her hooves in (this was somewhat difficult, as the ground was rocky and hard), refusing to budge. There was no way these goblins could move her. Her mass was at least six times any one of the goblins. The apparent leader smiled. This did not improve his countenance at all. His face more closely resembled churned-up mud with an old moldy potato for a nose than anything remotely human. Making a queer signal with his hand, the leader stepped aside, leaving a clear path in front of the young centaur. Suddenly, a sharp pain pricked her equine hindquarters, causing her to leap forward, surprised. One of the goblins had poked her hindquarters with a spear, awakening her buried instinct and causing her to move forward, away from the pain- and right toward the entrance of the goblin's tunnel.

"Oh, crud…" Nova realized there was no way out. The only way she could get away from these meat-eating little terrors was if she could fly over them- An idea struck her, causing a light bulb to flash over her head. Flying. Jumping. She could _jump_ over the goblins. The thought had not occurred to her before, because it was beyond two-legged capabilities. But what about centaurs? With the running and jumping power of a horse, it could be done. Better yet, what about kicking? She glanced about. There was no room for her to get the running start required to jump. Making her decision, Nova struck out with her fore-hooves, rearing to do so. The goblins scattered, and then regrouped to the side. Pivoting on her two front feet, the brown filly kicked out with her back feet, one hoof connecting with something soft that went "crunch". With the goblins in a confused and milling crowd, Nova wheeled and bolted away from them, galloping as fast as she could away from the danger.

Some part of her brain told her it was merely luck that the goblins had not anticipated her actions, while the rest of it was just happy not to be goblin-chow. Gradually, Nova slowed from a gallop to a canter, then to a trot, then finally to a walk. Coming to a halt, breathing hard, the sixteen-year-old looked around at her surroundings. She was completely lost in a thick jungle, surrounded by towering trees and strange foliage. Brushing a hank of sweat-darkened hair out of her face, Nova sighed. This was not exactly an ideal situation. A commotion off to her left made the filly start, then stop, listening. Maybe it was someone who could tell her where she was! Turning in that direction, she pushed through a bush, and found a path. What luck! Along that path, around a bend, the commotion continued, sounding like paws repeatedly striking the hard-packed dirt path. Rounding the corner, Nova bit back a small scream, and backed up as fast as her four legs would allow. Around the corner was not a person, but a dragon! It was a medium-sized fire-breather, pounding its way down the trail. Unfortunately, it was already coming right at her, and it saw the filly as she came around the bend, now it lunged forward, seeing her as a potential snack.

The little scream Nova had bit back before was now a fully-fledged maiden's scream of horror, and she opened her mouth to let it fly, startling the dragon. It slowed momentarily; giving her time to realize that the best thing to do would be to run. Wheeling on her back hooves for the second time, she took off, hoping to outdistance the similarly four-legged dragon. No such luck. The dragon merely spread its massive wings, launching itself into the air and soaring above her, readily keeping pace. Nova quickly saw there was no way she was going to get away along the path; the dragon could simply follow her until she tired. Locking her knees, she skidded to a halt, turning to face the dragon as it landed with a solid "thump" behind her on the path. It snorted, and a couple of sparks flew from its dilated nostrils. Obviously it was slightly confused as to why she didn't run. Snatching a conveniently placed staff-sized stick from the ground, the filly spread her hooves a little to get better leverage, holding the stick ready. The dragon cocked an eyebrow, which was quite a feat, since dragons don't _have_ eyebrows. The dragon seemed to decide that its snack was entertaining enough, and took a menacing step forward. Feeling very small, Nova pivoted on her front hooves again, snapping her powerful back legs out to catch the dragon on the nose. The dragon swung its snout out of the way, easily avoiding the blow. As it swung ponderously back, the filly whirled, brandishing her staff. She brought it down as hard as she could on the top of the red-colored snoot, cracking the stick in half. The fire-breather blinked at her, as much as to say, "Was that supposed to hurt?"

Dropping the staff from her suddenly nerveless fingers, Nova tried to back away. The dragon's maw opened, revealing a grand row of glistening fangs, and it took another step forward. Her legs, all four of them, gave way beneath her, and she threw up her arms to shield her face, screaming with all her might. Suddenly, the thundering of hooves on the path behind her distracted the dragon, and it looked startled, its mouth still half open. Through her fear, Nova saw a horse leap over her head, wings flared- wait, _wings_? It wasn't a horse, it was a centaur, his muscular chest heaving, his wings outstretched as he approached the dragon with his bow drawn. The dragon seemed to consider for a moment, and then advanced on the other centaur, mouth agape. The winged centaur's first arrow found its point buried in the roof of the dragon's mouth, and the second was right behind it, piercing the dragon's forked tongue. With an odd squealing sound, the fire-breather's mouth snapped shut, and its eyes started to water. It was thick-skinned, but it had never had to deal with this before. It glared reproachfully at the stallion, and he raised his bow again, arrow ready to fly. The dragon thought better of it, and turned away, spreading its wings to leave the two strange centaurs alone. Folding his feathered wings, the centaur turned to face the filly, who realized with some embarrassment that she was still lying on the ground.

"Are you ok?" His voice was a fine baritone, deep but not too deep. His coat was a light dappled grey, bearing black socks on three of his four legs. His mane and tail were both black, and his tanned skin rippled with muscle as he held a hand out to her. Nova took it, grateful for the support as she splayed her front legs to get the leverage to haul her back feet up after her in the manner of centaurs. His wings were dark grey, complimenting his grey-green eyes as he smiled at her. The filly flushed as she noticed two things. One; she was staring, and two; she still hadn't answered his question.

"Yes. Thank you." The grey kindly chose to ignore her blush, which stood out remarkably well against her dark complexion. His eyes were worried as he looked her over. Truth be told, her heart was still pounding in her ears from the close call with the dragon, it had yet to register the fact she wasn't in danger any more. She felt his hands running over her left foreleg, and suddenly a jolt of pain cause her to flinch with a shallow gasp. Looking down, she saw a nasty cut on her knee from where she had fallen. She stood still, in a daze as he inspected the wound.

"Come." Without a thought, she followed him, into the forest and past numerous dangers, to a small sparkling spring. Under his instruction, she knelt by the pool and splashed some of its cool water onto her knee. Immediately, the cut healed, and she felt better, the daze clearing from her mind. It was a healing spring. She stood, turning to him with a shy smile.

"Thank you very much. I doubt I would have survived that encounter had you not rescued me." Nova bowed slightly, staring at her hooves as she spoke. Her voice was still quiet- she barely spoke above murmur. The winged centaur chuckled quietly.

"No need. I couldn't just let a pretty filly like you be eaten by a dragon. My name is Chey, by the way." Nova flushed again, not looking up.

"My name is Nova. It is a pleasure to meet you, Chey." Glancing up at him, she saw he was smiling slightly, and she quickly lowered her gaze again.

"You have not always been a centaur." Chey observed. Nova, startled, looked up into his face, and cocked her head questioningly. He made a gesture at his own bare (and attractively masculine) chest, then at hers. She understood, and blushed again. "How did you come to be a centaur?" Nova thought quickly, ducking her head to stare at the ground.

"I can't tell you. I'm on a journey…" Chey pondered for a moment, flicking his tail this way and that as he did. With one hand he fingered the point of his bow, which was slung over his back, between his wings. Those wings fascinated the brown-coated filly, but she dared not stare. Chey finally shrugged.

"I see. You are under an enchantment of some kind, and cannot speak of it." Nova hoped he bought the excuse, but stayed silent. She dared not lie. Centaurs never lie. "Good Magician Humfrey, the Magician of Information, could help you. He knows everything. In fact, I was just going to see him myself." Nova had been hoping something like this would happen, and took his hint, asking in her quiet way,

"Would you mind terribly if I came with you?" They agreed that it would be better if she traveled with him, for protection reasons, and for companionship. For, what journey is safe if you don't have a companion? Chey explained that the Good Magician's castle was two day's trot from where they were now, well south of Castle Roogna. They set off together, trotting northeast toward the Good Magician's castle. It soon became clear that the dragon had distracted them for much longer than they had thought, for it was already getting dark. The poor sun grew tired, and slipped over the horizon, burning the distant trees in its haste to flee the growing darkness. Soon the moon and stars were visible, but the centaurs had not found an enchanted path.

"We must stop for the night, but posting a lookout wouldn't be a bad idea." Chey spoke as they came to a halt in a clearing large enough for the both of them to rest comfortably. Nova was already tired, but agreed; she had no wish to have a nighttime encounter with a dragon. They found a nearby potpie bush, and ate their fill, washing it down with cold water from a fresh spring. Chey volunteered to take the first watch. "And when I start getting tired, I will wake you for the next watch." Nova consented, feeling very tired. She lay herself down beneath a soft cottonwood tree, leaning against it to use it as a pillow. But though she felt like she could stay awake no longer, she could not sleep.

"Chey? Why are you seeking the Good Magician?" Chey started, then smiled. Nova didn't speak very often, which was unusual for a girl of her age, and he was unaccustomed to company. He was silent for a moment, and Nova worried she might have intruded into his personal matters. "I'm sorry. It's not really any of my business." Chey shook his head, still smiling. He really did have a handsome smile, though this one was slightly sad.

"No, I understand your curiosity. I want to ask the Good Magician a Question. But I suppose you must first understand how I grew up. When I was a foal, my species, alicenaturs (winged centaurs) was small, and our number few. But there are quite a few now that used transformation springs and transformation stones to make themselves into winged centaurs, and now we are many. But of the winged centaur fillies I have met, none are- well-" He broke off, coughing quietly. Nova understood. He hadn't found one to love yet. It made sense. "Anyway, I'm going to the Good Magician to ask him if he could direct me to my soul mate." Nova nodded. It was a good Question, but he would have to word it carefully to get the Answer he desired.

"But don't you have to pass three challenges to get in the castle, and then serve a year's service to pay for your Answer?" Chey nodded, looking thoughtful. After that, the brown filly drifted off, pondering her own Question.

PS

In case you're wondering, yes. There will be puns in this story, just not as many as I would like. I'm not great at puns. Have fun with the rest of the story though! Review if you have time!


	2. ForgetMeNot Spring

Disclaimer:

I still don't own Xanth or any of its affiliates, no matter how awesome they are. Piers Anthony gets all the credit for the creatures and most of the puns. Only Nova and Chey belong to me so far.

Warning:

Like I said before, this was just a dream. I'll put up a chapter a week (just like my other fic) after this though. I will torture you with cliff-hangers! R&R if you want more!

Chapter 2; Forget-Me-Not Pond

It was still dark when Nova awoke, wakened by Chey, whose hand was resting on her shoulder. With a yawn, she stood, and the handsome grey took her place beneath the cottonwood tree, using its cushiony bark in the same manner she had, except he remained standing. Surveying their surroundings in the darkness, the filly stomped a hoof to wake herself up. Taking up a position beneath the sheltering branches of an old ironwood tree, the brunette crossed her arms over her stomach, listening to the nocturnal noises of the jungle around them. Nothing happened that night, and dawn lightened the sky without incident.

The sky spilt with a resounding crack as day broke. The sun was all the way up when Chey awoke, stretching luxuriously. Though he had only gotten roughly four hours of sleep, he seemed well rested, and eager to set off again. They had a quick breakfast of pies from a pie tree and washed down with some milk from the milk pods, took care of one or two private functions, and then trotted on northeast. Nova had an embarrassing encounter with things that were little- or unknown to her. Early in the morning, she stepped on a nickelpede nest, and was forced to squish all the nasty little bugs with her hooves. The nickelpedes gouged out coin-sized chunks of her flesh as they crawled up her legs, and she was forced to splash into a pond to drown them. When she splashed her way out of the pond, Chey insisted on checking her over again. There were several chunks of her hide missing, and she might have a couple scars left from this ordeal, but he concluded that she would be fine, and long as she watched her step. With a furious blush, Nova promised to watch where she put her hooves from then on.

Around mid-morning, they found a path, and though it was not enchanted, followed it, for it was going the way they wished. As they trotted in silence, Nova concentrated on keeping her two-beat gate in sync with Chey's. She had gotten good enough that she could time her gate by the sound of his, without constantly looking down at her hooves. The dappled-grey was only a couple inches taller than her, and most of it was in the shoulder, so it was easy enough to keep the rhythm. Suddenly, something wandered onto the path ahead of them. Out of caution, Chey stopped, but Nova was so deep in her own thoughts that she didn't notice.

"Nova! Look out!" At the sound of Chey's voice, the brunette snapped out of it, turning to face him as she slowed to a stop.

"What?" Something on the path made an indistinct woeful sound, and she turned to look at it. With a yelp, she stumbled back, surprised. It was a waif. The cutest, most innocent-looking, woe-begone little creature imaginable stood on the path in front of the centaurs, holding a little box of sticks with red tips.

"Match?" She pleaded, in a voice that could melt a heart of stone. Sure enough, all the nearby pebbles had melted into mush, and a boulder a little ways away was starting to look soft around the edges. Nova cast a glance back at Chey, and he met it halfway. This didn't ring quite true, but there was no harm in talking to the little girl.

"We have no money." Nova told the girl. She had no difficulty talking to the little girl, only to adults, and especially males. The waif looked disappointed, and then brightened as Nova asked, "Do you have a name?"

"My name is Woe Betide." Chey looked thoughtful as he joined them.

"Woe Betide… now where have I heard that name before?" Woe's expressive eyes narrowed, and she accidentally dropped her little box of matches, distracting Chey long enough to make him lose his train of thought. The dream locomotive choo-choo'd off into the distance as he watched, wondering. The little girl explained that she was looking for something interesting (but not in so many words), and Nova happily agreed to let her ride on her back. Then the three-some set off again, little Woe Betide talking animatedly.

"Do you have an assistant?" asked Woe. Nova looked at her curiously.

"A what?'

"You know, an assistant, helper, partner-"

"Companion?" suggested Nova.

"No, wait. I meant- spouse, "other half", next of kin-"

"Husband?" asked Nova, helpfully.

"Whatever." agreed Woe crossly. Suddenly, it clicked.

"Metria!" exclaimed Chey, coming to a halt. Both Woe and Nova looked around at him, wearing confused expressions. He explained quickly to Nova. "Metria is a mischievous demoness that is notorious for getting her words mixed up, just like that!" The little waif on the brown filly's back poof'd into smoke, reforming into a voluptuous woman whose glossy brown tresses fell fetchingly about her shoulders. There was something _off_ about her though- her shirt was on sideways, however she managed that, and her skirt was apparently hanging from the ankles up.

"For your information, I'm **not** Metria. I'm her alter ego, Mentia. Metria is currently living with her husband, and being intolerably _nice_ to people." Mentia cocked her head, putting it parallel to her shoulders. "It's about time you figured it out though. I gave you enough hints to drown a wail." Nova looked intrigued.

"What's a wail? And why did you want Chey to figure out who you were?" It was funny, that even though she was usually shy and quiet, she was talking quite freely now.

"A wail is a monster that runs on water, wailing. And you people wouldn't be nearly so interesting if you didn't know a demon was with you."

"Demoness." Corrected Chey. Mentia shrugged.

"Whatever." Chey spoke to Nova, keeping his eyes away from Mentia. It wasn't that she was unattractive, quite the opposite. Her body was, by human standards, perfect in every way. With luscious curves in all the right places, honey-colored hair cascading about her shoulders, and a bosom so full and well formed that it was probably sinful just to look at it.

"Don't pay any attention to her. If we ignore her, she'll eventually get bored and leave." Nova nodded, sending an apologetic glance back at Mentia, then the two centaurs started off again, pointedly ignoring Mentia's animated dialogue.

About halfway through Mentia's recounting of how she had met Gary Gar, Nova grew so bored; she turned to Chey and asked a direct question.

"Do you want to race?" Chey looked startled, but didn't break the trot.

"Race?"

"Yes. Say, down to that bend in the path?" Mentia had stopped talking, but now stood, floating about two inches above the brown filly's back.

"Ready, set, go!" The two centaurs grinned at one another, and took of, sprinting full throttle. In gates, they were evenly matched, having roughly the same length of stride, but in an all-out race, Chey pulled ahead quickly. Nova had never been very fast, but she enjoyed running all the same. Then, just as he reached the "finish line", Chey spread his wings, launching himself into the air. Nova pulled to a stop, watching Chey soar over the trees with awe, and a tinge of jealousy. She could have given herself wings if she wanted, but Chey would have questioned the sudden appearance of the feathery appendages. When he landed, they grinned again, both still breathing hard. Whether part human or part bird (or both), all equines loved running. It was in their blood. It was around lunchtime when their race ended, and they stopped briefly beside the trail when they found another pie tree, drinking the fresh clear water from a nearby spring. They too drank from the spring's cold bounty, and soon their hunger and thirst were satiated. Sometime during their meal, Mentia faded out, muttering something about "… boring centaurs… never do anything fun…". Nearby, they found a staff tree, and from it they took a good stout pole for Nova.

"Let's get moving." Suggested Chey, and Nova nodded. They set off again together, their hooves beating out a steady two-beat tattoo on the hard-packed earth. He had forgotten how nice it was to travel with another centaur. And, wonder of wonders, she was a pretty filly; petite of human potions, and well-muscled equine parts. She had a pretty brown-and-gold coat that glistened in the sunlight, and a brown mane to match. He fell behind a little now, watching how her mane whipped in the cool breeze. She, like all the other centaurs, had a mane that extended halfway down her back. It was a pity she wasn't winged, or even really a centaur. But, Nova made good company in the meantime, so he could live with it. She twisted to face him, slowing down fractionally to trot beside him again. She cocked her head, blue eyes shining in her quirky way that asked the question for her.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking." Chey smiled, and she smiled back at him as she faced forward again. The afternoon was getting warm, and both centaurs were sweating. They paused in the shade of a green-leafed weeping willow, whose leaves were slowly dripping its tears. Nova looked like she was about to say something, when she paused, looking over her shoulder into the jungle.

"What is it?" She held up a hand, silencing him as she concentrated. Her face brightened after half a moment.

"Water." She said simply, as she moved off through the shaded jungle, taking full advantage of all four hooves. Hopeful, Chey followed, folding his wings tight to his back to avoid getting snagged on branches. He found that, though their gates were similar, he had to take short detours as she slipped in between large tree trunks, for though they were similar in length of the legs; she was (true to her human portions) slimmer at the shoulder and hip than he was. Before long, they came to a small, sparkling pond, fed by two tiny waterfalls from two cold springs.

"Wait!" the stallion called out, Nova looked like she was about to splash right in. "We don't know what the properties of that water are!" Nova, chastened, made to back away from the water, but she was too close to the edge. The soft overhanging bank gave way beneath her fore hooves, and she fell into the water with a loud splash. The pond was a lot deeper than it had looked at first, for when she reached the bottom the water was up to her human stomach. She looked around, blinking bemusedly.

"Nova, are you ok?" Chey wondered what problem they had blundered into this time. She looked around at him, her blue eyes dazed.

"Nova? Who's that?" she murmured dreamily. With a grimace, he realized what it was. Lethe water. It would make anyone who drank it or touched it forget everything. He met her gaze, and saw her body stiffen momentarily. "Wow, you're handsome…" she breathed, starting to rise. It took all of half a moment for Chey to realize what was wrong. The two little waterfalls! The pond was being fed by two different springs. A love spring and a forget-spring. This was going to be awkward.

"Nova, come with me. We need to get out of here." Chey turned, starting to walk away. As he had thought, Nova scrambled after him. For some reason though, she did not approach him or touch him. It must have been her shy nature holding back the magic of the love spring. As they walked, Chey updated his newly forgetful friend. "You just fell into a pond of lethe water, and you've forgotten everything." He continued to explain their situation and where they were going as they navigated the short stretch of jungle back to the path. They reached it in a matter of minutes, and by then, her daze had cleared a little. She nodded, looking worried.

"Yes. So I've forgotten everything important. But Chey, I love you. Is there a reversal for this?" Chey had to marvel at how clearly she was thinking, even under the pressure of the emotions forced on her by the love spring. Thus far she had refrained from making physical contact with him, and was staying at least a pace away. From what he understood of love springs, their effect was limited by the consciousness of the person affected. In short, she could restrain herself from approaching him, but if he approached her, she would lack the will to resist. It was just lucky that both of them hadn't fallen in. He noticed she no longer blushed when he glanced at her, and she paid much closer attention to his words.

"I believe the only thing to do would be to ask the Good Magician. I'm sure he has a potion to nullify magic love." They traveled on until the eastern sky started to darken, and the sun hastened his progress toward the horizon. They found a suitable clearing, and ate a small meal of fruits from a cornucopia plant. Agreeing to the same arrangement as the previous night, Nova settled down to sleep, while Chey took first watch. He thought on the earlier events. He had noticed that Nova was still shy, but much more willing to talk if he initiated the conversation. It was strange, having someone love him. He knew that it was a magic love, not to be denied; yet Nova had held it off. She loved him, that was unmistakable, but that she would have wished this had she not fallen into the spring… the answer to that mystery had yet to be seen.

PS

I love you all for baring with me. Thanks for reading! *hugs readers* Stand by for the next chapter!


	3. Challenges

Disclaimer:

I don't own Xanth. I don't pretend to. I don't have the genius to come up with anything like Xanth. If you think I do, you are severely mistaken. All credit goes to Piers Anthony. The only characters that belong to me are Chey and Nova. Don't steal them. They are mine.

Warning:

This chapter's a bit on the long side, because there was a lot to cover. Oh, and again for those who like to critique, I wrote this a hundred years ago, and it's only a dream. I haven't edited it since I wrote it either. Have fun!

Chapter 3; A Pine Tree, a Wolf-Spider, and Other Challenges

It was harder this time, to fall asleep. Though she was tired, it took several minutes just to get comfortable. Nova knew it was merely the effect of the spring, but the longing of her body to feel the presence of another was hard to subdue. It was quite clear by Chey's explanation that they were no more than companions, and it would be inappropriate for her to indulge in her desires. With a resigned sigh, she settled down for the night.

The moon was high when Chey awoke her, and with a nod, Nova shifted away as quickly as possible. The moonlight gave his coat a silvery sheen, turning his eyes storm-grey and casting his face into sharp relief. With difficulty, she tore her eyes away to watch the surrounding jungle. Positioning herself beneath the drooping branches of a gnarled old pine tree, she crossed her arms over her stomach, watching the sky. The stars overhead winked and blinked peacefully, but it seemed to Nova that they were somehow sadder than normal. Somewhere in the distance, a werewolf howled, its voice carrying a lonely note. Another wolf answered, and the loneliness was replaced by joy. It made Nova feel sad, knowing that she didn't have someone to answer her call. A pair of birds nested in a branch over her head, snuggled together closely to keep out the night chill. _There's no one to hold me close- I don't even know who I am…_ The thought crossed her mind and flitted out of it so fast it left only a trail of thoughtful unhappiness in its wake. She realized then, that without a past, and without a family, she was well and truly isolated. Tears trickled down her face, running in silent streams as she thought longer on her own wretched self-centered attitude. Forcing Chey to travel with her, when he clearly had more important things to attend to. It made her feel even worse as she slowly sank to the ground.

Chey awoke quite suddenly. It was still dark, but the horizon in the east was lightening, giving the first signs of dawn. Wondering what had awoken him, the centaur's ears perked up at the sound of a muffled sob. Flicking his tail in concern, he glanced around, and saw Nova lying underneath a pine tree, crying into her hands, her shoulders shaking with huge sobs that she muffled as best as she could. Feeling a wash of worry, he approached her, walking quietly. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he felt her start, and twist to face him, her tear-stained face still wet. As soon as she saw it was he, she quickly buried her face in her hands again, sobbing anew.

"What's wrong, Nova?" His grip tightened on her shoulder as he spoke, and he bit his lip.

"The world has lost all joy… There's no one left to love me…" her voice was just barely above a whisper, but that did not make the surprise any less for Chey.

"Lost all joy? We are here, we are alive, and we know where we're going, what is so terrible that you think this?" Chey frowned. Women were such complicated, emotional creatures.

"I've been so horrible. I made you risk your life for me… and what have I done? I'm just a burden; I don't deserve-" Chey cut her off, shaking her shoulders firmly.

"You have done no such thing, Nova. Get up!" The brown-coated filly hung her head, limp in his grasp. Then he realized what was wrong. The tree! It was a pining tree! It made those close to it pine! Walking around to face her, he sank down to see her eye to eye. She lifted her head, her eyes despondent. Then he did the only thing he could think of. Pulling her shaking torso closer to him, he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her on the lips. As he drew away, she blinked, her blue eyes clearing. One enchantment overrules another, thought Chey with some satisfaction. Her breathing quickened as she felt how close he was to her, and he quickly scooted away, not wishing to provoke her.

"Oh, Chey! I'm so sorry, I- it was all just so sad…" he stood, holding her hand. She rose with him, her eyes taking on a dreamy look. Yet still, she did not throw herself on him. This evoked pure admiration in Chey. He had approached her, and yet she still had a will strong enough to hold off the enchantment. He wished there were more females out there like her.

Picking an apple from the cornucopia plant, he handed it to her, letting go of her hand. She took it, and bit into it, still looking dreamy. He took a purple fruit for himself. After they finished eating (the day had already broken), they found the path again, and followed it northeast. At a solid trot, the two centaurs saw the turrets of the Good Magician's castle over the trees around midmorning. Nova flashed a grin at him, and broke into a canter. He smiled fiercely, and ran after her, reveling in the three-beat cadence of their hooves as they pounded the earth together. This was what horses were made for, and (in a way) so were centaurs. They arrived at the castle together, breathing a little harder, but not so much as to distract each other. The castle towered above them, and the drawbridge was down, giving them a way to cross the deep moat without risking becoming moat-monster-food. There was an indistinct something on the bridge, but other than the one _something_, the only thing visible was a small bleached-white bone lying on the ground by the moat.

Chey approached the bridge first, but as soon as he set hoof on the wood, the _something_ moved. It looked like a little bundled-up grey coat, but then it uncurled, revealing eight long, hairy legs, and two vicious-looking pincers. It was a spider, about the size of a large dog, roughly knee-high on a centaur. But those pincers looked like they could make short work of centaur-legs. Chey jumped back, and the spider didn't pursue him. Thinking quickly, Nova held her staff out in front of her and approached the bridge. As soon as her front hooves were on the wood, the spider rushed forward, clicking its pincers angrily. She staved it off, pushing it back with her staff as she took another step forward. Its clicking increased in rapidity and volume as it tried to get around the pole, but it was there to meet it every time. She was halfway onto the bridge now, and one hind hoof was coming forward to speed her progress. A weird snarling came from the spider as its legs gathered together, its body lengthened, and its pincers faded to be replaced by a snout full of lethal-looking fangs. There before her now, was a big savage wolf, drool dripping from its open maw. A whinnying scream escaped her, and Nova wheeled, bolting back onto the firm earth, away from the wolf. It was an instinct that was burned into her DNA as deeply as life itself. She stood next to Chey, shaking as she stared at the wolf. Unable to control herself, she gripped his arm for comfort, hugging it as she tried to calm down. He did not protest her closeness.

"It's a wolf spider!" Chey said it softly, but the wolf spider lifted its snout, ears cocked.

"Is there any way to make it stay a spider? I can deal with spiders. Wolves though? Uh… not so much." Nova spoke quickly, her fear getting the better of her. Chey gently eased her grip on his arm, and moved away from her, looking around for clues of any kind. Nova's staff lay abandoned on the bridge, and the only other thing nearby was that little white bone… He picked up the bone, and burst out laughing. He quickly dropped it, and looked puzzled, staring down at it. Nova saw what it was.

"It's a funny bone!" She exclaimed. The dappled grey centaur looked pensive for a moment, then brightened. He picked up the funny bone, smothering his laughter as he handed it to his companion. The brunette filly took it, and giggled, as though someone was tickling her. Now free of his own fit of laughter, Chey called out to the wolf spider.

"Hey, spider!" The wolf spider lifted its canine head, listening. "Would you like a bone?" The wolf spider's tongue lolled out of its mouth, and it stared at the bone in Nova's hands hungrily. "If you let us pass, you can have the bone. Is it a deal?" The spider paused, considering. Then it nodded its head happily, moving over to the side of the bridge, leaving a clear path for them to walk past. They walked cautiously past the wolf spider, the brown filly still giggling helplessly. Once they were past the wolf, she turned, tossing the funny bone back to it. It caught the little white bone in its mouth, and started yelping with laughter as it trotted off the bridge. They had passed the first challenge.

Making their way toward the main gate, the centaurs stayed silent, except for the soft thud of their hooves. What would the next challenge be? They didn't have to ponder long. Sitting in front of the big wooden gate, there was a furry animal in the shape of a human house. Chey stared at it for a minute, the realized what it was as it panted happily in place. It was about chest-height on their horse-portions, and covered in brown fur, with a canine head perched at the peak of its furry roof.

"It's a dog house!" said Chey, surprised. Nova nodded agreement, looking at it. "But what is it doing here?" His companion's mouth quirked as she glanced at him, her hand straying up to twist her blonde-streaked bangs.

"Why don't we ask him?" Chey watched, skeptical, as the filly approached the dog house. "Excuse me, canine shelter. Why are you blocking the gate?" The dog looked up at her, still panting slightly.

"I'm waiting." He barked. Not much for giving details, I guess.

"Waiting for what?" asked Nova politely.

"Waiting for someone to find me and live in me. I am a house, after all." The dog house fell silent. They had the information they needed; now they just had to figure out how to use it. Nova retreated to stand next to Chey, thinking. The grey stallion stomped one of his black-socked hooves as he spoke his thoughts aloud.

"So, we need something that will live in the dog house and make it happy. But at the same time, if that thing to live in the dog house is here, it might not want to leave." The filly shook out her mane and picked up where Chey left off.

"So what we need is something that's not here, that the dog house would be willing to chase after. And what better to live in a dog house than a dog?" her friend nodded his black-maned head, following her train of thought.

"Or better yet, a wolf. A wolf _spider_." Chey approached the dog house this time. "Dog house. You say you would like somebody to live in you. I regret that I am too big to fill the position myself. But I do know someone that might be interested." The dog house's ears perked up, and he looked at the centaur with hopeful brown eyes.

"Really? Who?"

"There was a wolf spider here earlier. It took off that way." Chey pointed. "Would that be satisfactory?" The dog house hoisted itself up on its stubby little legs, which had been hidden before, and nodded amiably.

"Quite. Thank you centaur, you have saved me a lot of trouble." The dog trundled off in the direction of the wolf spider, leaving the door free to swing open.

Chey pulled on the iron ring set into the door, and it swung silently open. Inside, there were grey stone walls and a grey stone ceiling- but no grey stone floor. Instead, there was what looked like a bottomless abyss, crossed by a seemingly unsupported dirt path. Nova looked somewhat nervous, and Chey looked thoughtful. Nova stepped forward, eyes shut tight as she set a hoof down on the dirt path. It was solid. With a sigh of relief, she opened her eyes, and her hoof fell through the dirt, as though it were just an illusion. She scrambled back, with a gasp, and stood next to Chey, shivering. Chey flicked himself with his tail a couple times as he looked thoughtful.

"It was there when I put my hoof down, but when I opened my eyes, it _wasn't _there!" Nova shivered again, her brown hide twitching like a thousand flies were stinging her. Chey felt sorry for her. He probably would have had the same reaction had the ground given out beneath him.

"It's a reverse illusion. You can see it when it's not there, but if you can't see it then it is there." He put a comforting arm around Nova's shoulders, and didn't comment when she leaned into his body. He knew she must feel the blood burning in her veins, longing to kiss him (and other unmentionably passionate things), but she did nothing more than maintain the physical contact he had initiated. Her control was admirable to say the least. This challenge was more difficult than the last two. It would have been easy enough had he been alone, for he could just fly over it. But with Nova here…

"There's only one way we can get through this." Nova's shivering had subsided, and she turned to him, her eyes questioning. "I will fly over the path with my eyes open, and I will direct you. You must keep your eyes closed, so the path remains solid." He felt her tense for a moment, thinking. Then she nodded.

"Ok." This would take a lot of trust. But she trusted him completely, not even second-guessing his choice. It scared him a little, knowing that she trusted him with her life, but reassured himself with the knowledge that it was mainly the magic of the love spring. He withdrew his arm, and spread his wings, launching himself into the air. Taking a deep breath, Nova positioned herself in front of the beginning of the path. It was straight, but no creature could walk in a perfectly straight line. True be told, she _was_ nervous, but if Chey was directing her, she was completely confident, because she trusted him with all her heart. She took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped out onto the path.

It was solid. She eased her way out onto the path, feeling her way with her fore hooves and following Chey's instructions as they came to her.

"Move left a little bit, now come forward, no, no! Right a little bit, there we go." They were at it for about ten minutes, Nova patiently following Chey's instructions and faithfully keeping her eyes shut, but Chey was getting frustrated. They weren't making very much progress.

"This isn't working…" Nova heard the mutter, then felt a draft. "Here, take my hand." The brown filly reached out, and a hand took hers. Her heart skipped a beat, then sped up a bit as his grip firmed. "Follow me." Hovering beside her, he led her along the path at a walk. Moments later, the ground beneath her hooves changed, becoming hard and stony instead of soft and giving like the dirt.

"You can open your eyes now." Nova opened her eyes, and saw that they had indeed reached the other side.

PS

Thank you for reading. Feel free to review or suggest a new idea for a story. I'd be happy to take suggestions. (And no, I don't charge for writing someone else's idea.)


	4. A Question

Disclaimer:

I don't own Xanth, no matter how much I like it. However, Chey and Nova belong to me. All other characters, and the world they inhabit, belong to Peirs Anthony. Have fun!

Chapter 4; A Question of Great Importance

A woman of middle years stood in the hall ahead of them, dressed in a blue dress with her medium brown hair loose about her shoulders. She was pretty enough, but her eyes were light pink, a strange color for eyes.

"Welcome to the Good Magician's Castle. I am Wira, Humfrey's daughter-in-law. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" The woman made a slight curtsey, and cocked her head ever so slightly.

"I am Chey Centaur, and this is my companion-"

"Nova Centaur." Wira nodded, smiling.

"Ah, yes. The centaurs. Humfrey has an appointment for you in an hour. In the meantime, you can rest and have a bite to eat with the Gorgon." Nova took a step back, startled.

"The Gorgon? But doesn't she turn people to stone just by looking at them?" Wira laughed as she led the way down the hall into the kitchen.

"Not since the Good Magician Humfrey cast a spell on her to make her face invisible." The brown filly was disconcerted, but said nothing. They turned the corner into the roomy and well-lit room, containing a large open fireplace and a big wooden table. At the table, the Gorgon was chopping vegetables, and behind her vegetable soup was boiling in a big pot over the fire. She was a mature woman with somewhat overly-curvy curves, with the snakes that made up her hair writhing this way and that, tongues flickering out at odd intervals. The Gorgon was indeed faceless, but she looked up, seemingly seeing Wira as she came through the door.

"Ah! Wira. What visitors do we have today?" For an answer, Wira merely smiled, and stood aside, allowing the two centaurs to enter. The Gorgon seemed to smile as she saw Chey. "A winged centaur! We don't see many of those around here." Wira looked surprised.

"He has wings?" Chey obligingly lifted his wings a little, allowing Wira to touch them as she reached out. She stroked the grey feathers, smiling. "Beautiful…" She murmured, then she turned to the Gorgon. "I will be back in an hour when Humfrey remembers he has an appointment. Will you take care of them, Gorgon?" The Gorgon nodded graciously, apparently smiling. Wira left, vanishing into the dark staircase to the left of the kitchen. The Gorgon turned, dumping the vegetables into the pot, and served them two bowls of the steaming soup, and a small loaf of bread each. The soup was delicious, and the bread was crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Afterward, the Gorgon brought out red, yellow, purple, and blue berries, the sweetest of the pick, for dessert. All in all, it was a delightful meal. After they had eaten, Nova asked a question she hadn't nerve to ask before.

"Why are Wira's eyes pink?" The Gorgon looked as startled as it is possible to do when one has no face.

"Didn't you know? Wira is blind." Nova flushed, feeling very small.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She had walked with confidence through the corridors; the embarrassed filly had never suspected that one so self-assured could be blind. The Gorgon seemed to smile gently as she shook her head.

"Don't be. That girl is more observant than most people that can see." They talked a while more, and the Gorgon inquired what their Questions for the Good Magician were. They each explained their own Questions, but when Nova said she was looking for a way to nullify magic love, she looked somehow troubled.

"Magic love?" With a dark blush, Nova explained her little accident with the pond fed by the love spring and lethe water.

"And now I love him. It is an awkward situation…" Nova struggled to look anywhere but at Chey, knowing that if he met her gaze, she would be irresistibly drawn to kiss him. Unbeknownst to him, that was how she had controlled the main portion of the magic-induced love. She found that if she avoided eye contact with him, she could resist the temptation to summon as many storks as it is possible to in one night. To her own surprise, she had found that morning that even if she met his gaze, she could resist the urging of the emotions inside her as long as he did not prompt her. The love spring must have been diluted somewhat by the lethe water. She had stated as much, but the Gorgon looked doubtful, or she seemed to. It was hard to tell when she didn't have a face. Suddenly, a voice sounded behind them, and Chey and Nova both turned.

"The Good Magician Humfrey will see you now." Wira stood in the doorway, motioning for them to follow her. They thanked the Gorgon for her kindness, and followed Wira into the hall. The two centaurs paused at the bottom of the winding staircase, glancing at each other. Centaurs aren't made to climb stairs. Wira seemed to know what they were thinking, and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. There is an enchantment on the stairs. They will make a ramp for you." Chey stepped forward first, following Wira's lead. Sure enough, the stairs converted magically into a ramp, easier for equine hooves to handle.

"Now, I must warn you, the Good Magician is grumpy, so don't antagonize him." Up, up, up they went, up to a musty, dusty little room cluttered with books and scrolls and tomes. There was a little gnome-like old man hunched over a tome almost as big as he was.

"Father. Chey and Nova Centaur are here to ask their Questions." The gnome lifted his head, glancing at Wira through spectacles perched on his nose.

"Hmm? What do you want?" He did indeed sound grumpy, and he harrumphed through his nose as Wira repeated her announcement. "Oh, yes. Come on, ask your Questions already. I don't have all day." Chey stepped forward first, careful not to tread on any of the Good Magician's books.

"I would like to know where I could find my soul mate." The Good Magician peered at him over his spectacles.

"That wasn't a Question." With a guilty start, Chey realized that this was true. It had been a statement, not a question.

"Could you please tell me where I can find my soul mate?" Humfrey let out a snort that might or might not have been a laugh, and glanced at Nova.

"Go to the Region of Fire." The old man lowered his gaze to the tome in front of him, obviously done with the centaur. Looking troubled, Chey retreated, and Nova stepped forward. She opened her mouth to ask how she could abolish the magic love, and then abruptly changed her mind.

"How can I achieve what my heart most desires?" Humfrey looked up at her, the expression on his face almost… startled. But it was gone again so quickly she wasn't sure if she had ever really seen it.

"That was not the Question you came here to ask." He grumped, flipping through his book. He glanced up at Wira, then at Chey. "The Answer this young centaur seeks is private. Please remove yourselves from the area." Wira bowed respectfully, and herded Chey down the stair/ramp again. The door swung shut behind them, and the Good Magician stared at Nova with eyes that were still sharp, despite his age. "The Answer you seek is the thing very few creatures have asked for. It will be a difficult and arduous journey. Are you sure you wish to go through with it?" Nova hesitated, disconcerted by the seriousness of the Magician's tone, then she nodded, her jaw set. Humfrey sat back with a sigh, and rubbed his temples. Opening his eyes, he lifted a small bottle from the shelf behind him and handed it to her. It was clear, but it sparkled like crystal in the sunlight that shone through the window.

"That potion will nullify the magic of the love spring, but it may not be what you expect." Nova watched as the Good Magician flipped through his book, and when he found the page he was looking for, he squinted, reading. When he sat back, he sighed again, and glared at the brown-coated centaur. "You've messed up all my plans, you know that? Go with Chey Centaur as he travels to the Region of Fire. You will attain what you seek, but the price will be high. I hope you are willing to pay it when the time comes." The door swung open again, squeaking slightly on its hinges. "Now get on out of here. You've wasted enough on my time as it is." Nova bowed gratefully, bending at the waist.

"Thank you Good Magician. I am grateful for what you have done." Humfrey scratched his nose absently, but Nova thought she saw a flicker of a bit of a shadow of a smile tug at his lips before she turned to leave. On one of the ramp's many landings, she stopped, uncorking the little bottle in her hand. In one gulp, she downed the contents, and re-corked it, setting it on a little table alongside the wall. She could feel the magic flowing through her, and then out of her, but something wasn't quite as she had thought. It was like the Good Magician had said; it wasn't what she had expected.

Nova rounded the corner into the hallway, and Wira and Chey were waiting for her. Wira smiled, but her smile was tense, as though she was worried about something.

"You may stay the night with us if you wish." Chey and Nova both agreed to stay the night, and Wira showed them to the cozy stalls located on the ground floor for the equine guests. As Chey headed into his own stall, Wira called to Nova.

"Nova? Could I speak to you?" The centaur filly shrugged, and clip-clopped over to the brown-haired woman.

"What is it, Wira?" The woman was silent for a moment as she ran a hand along the length of her equine back.

"May I…?" The centaur consented, knowing that she probably didn't get the chance to ride very often. With Wira on her back, Nova made her way outside, and crossed the bridge, circling the castle as they talked in the fading light.

"Nova, I must let you know that the Good Magician always has a reason for his answers."

"I know." Answered the filly simply. She trusted that Wira would not lead her wrong, and Humfrey was a Magician, he wouldn't intentionally steer her into disaster.

"But he's never done that before. What is it that your heart most desires?" It was Nova's turn to be silent. She wasn't sure if she could answer that question. When she finally did answer, her voice was slow and hesitant.

"I- I think my heart desires… whatever will make me the happiest. But exactly what that might be… I'm not sure." Wira nodded, thinking.

"The Gorgon told me you fell in a love spring. How are you going to deal with that when you and Chey go your separate ways?" Nova started to protest that she wasn't leaving Chey, so it wouldn't be a problem, but stopped herself. Why would it be a problem anyway if she had already drunk the potion that had rid her of the magic love? Why did she still feel this way? The realization struck her like a thunderbolt, and she stopped in her tracks, startling Wira into an exclamation.

"What's wrong Nova?" Her breathing quickened as the truth filtered through to her stunned mind.

"I still love him." The statement was nearly a whisper, but Wira had good hearing.

"What do you mean?" Hesitantly, Nova started walking again, and told Wira what she had just realized.

"I took the potion to eliminate the magic of the love spring earlier before I came down from the Good Magician's study. The magic left, but I still love Chey." Wira thought for a minute, then spoke, her voice soft.

"I think you would have grown to love Chey, even without the magic. So the love spring didn't create any false feelings within you, it just sped up the growth of the emotions that were already there. And now the magic is gone, but the feeling remains, for it was not the magic that made you fall in love with Chey, it was your own heart." This made sense, and Nova nodded slowly. The sun had fled across the sky while they talked, and it was burning the distant trees as it hastened away from the falling night.

"So there's no way to escape the fact that I love Chey." Somehow, the thought was comforting. As they crossed the bridge, Nova stopped at the entrance, twisting around to face Wira.

"Wira? Could you not mention this to Chey? He might find it… awkward."

"Of course not. It is only you that can tell him the truth, and no other." Nova faced forward again, continuing to the end of the hall.

"Thank you, Wira. Your words comfort me." Wira dismounted, and bade her good night. Nova said the same, and returned to her cozy hay-carpeted stall. There she found a hot meal of cooked oats sprinkled with alfalfa and warm milk mixed with honey (for some reason oats and alfalfa had always appealed to her), and she ate gratefully, making a mental note to thank the Gorgon for her kindness. After finishing her meal, Nova leaned back against her own equine hindquarters, and dozed off, finding it surprisingly comfortable. She only awoke when her knees buckled, forcing her to sleep lying down.

That night, she had a dream. _A midnight-black mare stood outside the stall, and stomped a hoof. Suddenly, she was standing on a cliff, with Chey at her side. His wings were battered, dirty, and stained with what looked nastily like blood. But he spread them anyway, smiling back at her in his charming way. "Chey! No!" Nova screamed as loud as she could, but the grey centaur took no notice of her warning. "Don't worry, Nova! I'll be back!" He called cheerfully, and he leaped over the edge of the cliff. She didn't look, but she could tell by the sickening silence that followed that he was gone. How could he have tried to fly with his wings like that?! An overwhelming wave of guilt swept over her. She didn't know how, but it was all her fault. She had caused it! It was all her-_

Nova awoke with a gasp, glancing around wildly. Scrambling to her feet with her heart still pounding in her ears, the filly whirled to exit the suddenly claustrophobic-seeming stall. There, in the dust outside the wooden box was the signature moon-mapped hoof-print of a night mare. Checking in on Chey, she found he was still sound asleep, no bad dreams disturbing his sleep. Troubled, Nova returned to her stall, and gradually drifted off again.

PS

Sorry I'm late. I kind of… got distracted. Finals and all that. You know, it's not like I had a choice. Hope you enjoyed the newest installment of my Xanthly Dream!


End file.
